| We aren't talking about the slight of hand of the | | | | different directions. I was at first stunned by this |
| magician nor the wizardry of Merlin. We are talking | | | | very powerful display and then settled in to |
| about the kind of magic that Disney creates - the | | | | admire the fine detail of the individual pieces. |
| magic that flows from enchantment. The kind of | | | | Surprisingly, I found myself in a strange zone, one |
| magic we wanted to believe in when we were | | | | I only experience when I'm in a home |
| kids. | | | | improvement store looking at tools and imagining |
| When we watch Tinker Bell fly across our TV | | | | all the projects I could do with them. Imagine a |
| screen leaving a trail of sparkling fairy dust, we | | | | grown man standing at a glass display case, |
| immediately transfer ourselves to that magical | | | | mesmerized by the beauty and workmanship of |
| zone of enchantment. That enchantment zone | | | | the crystal figurines, thinking so and so would like |
| may be different for each of us. It could be one | | | | this one and that one would be a great gift |
| of joy, or happiness, or tranquility, or anticipation | | | | for….That's not a zone most men are |
| or a host of things that you could name for | | | | accustomed to experiencing. I was enchanted! |
| yourself. | | | | A few minutes later a young woman came to |
| So where is the magic in a crystal figurine? I | | | | the case looking carefully at each crystal animal |
| discovered the answer over ten years ago while | | | | while softly cooing to herself. After a few minutes |
| reluctantly shopping with my wife and | | | | of oohhs and aahhs, I said, "Judging by the sounds |
| mother-in-law at a local mall. As we passed a | | | | you're making, you really like these." |
| beautiful gift store, my mother-in-law, closely | | | | Without looking up, she answered, "Oh yes, I love |
| followed by my wife, made a bee-line straight for | | | | crystal animals, they're great collectibles." Curious, |
| a glass display case just inside the entrance. They | | | | I then asked what attracted her to them. She |
| were in there for quite awhile, then came out and | | | | looked up, smiled and said, "It's the sparkle in |
| said they had a few more things to get. While my | | | | crystal, it's like magic." I pondered that comment |
| ladies continued shopping the other stores, I | | | | for awhile, not really understanding what she |
| rested on a bench outside the gift shop. I was | | | | meant. |
| amazed at how many people walked by the | | | | A few months later, I gave a friend a crystal cat |
| entrance, saw the display case and walked in for | | | | figurine. When she opened the crystal gift she fell |
| a closer look. | | | | into that moment of enchantment. We all could |
| Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. I had to go | | | | see it on her face. She said when she opened the |
| into that store to find out what was the big | | | | box she saw the sparkle before she realized it |
| attraction that lured so many people to that glass | | | | was crystal and was overwhelmed by the beauty |
| case. The case held somewhere between twenty | | | | of the figurine. That was her magical moment. |
| and thirty beautiful and expertly crafted crystal | | | | I finally understood what that lady meant. There |
| animals and crystal figurines. With so many | | | | is magic in a crystal animal figurine. The magic is in |
| figurines in such a small area, the case had a | | | | the sparkle, like fairy dust, and the sparkle is in |
| glowing effect with rays of light jumping in all | | | | the crystal. |